Launch of new 'Climate Risk Knowledge for Water' website
The International Research Institute for Climate and Society welcomes you to use and share our new training resource for water managers. Designed specifically for professionals, IRI's Climate Risk Knowledge for Water web site ( http://crk.iri.columbia.edu/water ) describes methodologies for addressing risks and opportunities associated with climate variability and change. Users can work through specific exercises, watch video tutorials and download a comprehensive 155-page manual for offline use.
In many regions, the supply of fresh water is extremely sensitive to climate variability. Population growth, changing lifestyles, and shifting land-use patterns also place heavy demands on water systems. The combination of climatic uncertainty with increased demand makes it essential that water managers use the best climate information available. Advances in hydroclimatic science provide rich new opportunities for "climate-smart" water management. These advances -- including better data sets, more accurate models, and improved forecasts -- provide opportunities to facilitate policies and operations that can support urban planning, resolve multi-user conflicts, and improve resiliency to droughts and floods.
Climate information is but one input to the decision-making processes water managers engage - but it can have a significant effect on outcomes for a water system. The goals of the Climate Risk Knowledge for Water web site are to provide knowledge and tools on the use of improved climate information and forecasts in water resource management, and to give users access to a network for sharing this information through subscription to the watercrk@iri.columbia.edu list serve community. You have been pre-selected as a participant in this community owing to your perceived interest in education or training in this subject area. If you want to share this resource with others who may be interested in joining this community, please forward this message to others. If you are not interested in being part of this community, please select 'unsubscribe' below.
The website, web resources, and manual are possible owing to the generous support of The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cooperative agreements NA05OAR4311004 and NA10OAR4310210. Approaches, examples and practical exercises also benefited from collaborations with universities, technical advisory groups, governmental agencies, and water and power service providers in the Philippines, as well as project engagement with USAID/OFDA (see website and/or manual for details).